Sib Shops - Common Bonds
What are Sibshops?
Sibshops are best described as opportunities for brothers and sisters of children with special health and developmental needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context. They often reflect an agency's commitment to the well-being of the family member most likely to have the longest-lasting relationship with the person with special needs.
However, for the young people who attend them and the energetic people who run them Sibshops are best described as events. Sibshops are lively, pedal-to-the-metal celebrations of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of kids with special needs. Sibshops acknowledge that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing, and for many somewhere in between. They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters have much to offer one another--if they are given a chance. The Sibshop model intersperses information and discussion activities with new games.
Sibshops seek to provide siblings with opportunities for peer support. Because Sibshops are designed (primarily) for school-age children, peer support is provided within a lively, recreational context that emphasizes a kids'-eye-view.
Sibshops are not therapy, group or otherwise, although their effect may be therapeutic for some children. Sibshops acknowledge that most brothers and sisters of people with special needs, like their parents, are doing well, despite the challenges of an illness or disability. Consequently, while Sibshop facilitators always keep an eye open for participants who may need additional services, the Sibshop model takes a wellness approach.
For more information contact: Monica Schlessinger Smyth 203-324-1880 ext 336 or email:
1150 Summer Street - Stamford, CT 06905 • P 203.324.1880 • F 203.324.4390
